1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to browsers.
2. Related Art
A browser is an application that retrieves content and enables a user to interact with that content. In an example, a browser may retrieve content across one or more networks, such as the Internet. The INTERNET EXPLORER 7 browser from MICROSOFT is a type of web browser. Other examples of browsers are the SAFARI browser from APPLE, the OPERA browser from OPERA SOFTWARE, and the CAMINO browser available at http://www.caminobrowser.org/.
Some browsers provide a tabbed interface. The FIREFOX 2 browser, available at http://www.mozilla.com/, is an example of a browser with a tabbed interface. In a tabbed interface, each browser window may have multiple tabs displayed on a tab management area with each tab able to display a page. In a single window, only one page is visible at a time. If a user selects a tab on a tab management area, a page associated with the tab is displayed. Each browser window can contain many tabs, allowing the user to open many pages inside a single window.
Many browsers open tabs in a left to right manner. New tabs are always placed on the right side of the tab management area. The INTERNET EXPLORER 7 browser has an option to always insert new tabs to the right of a selected tab. Opening tabs in this way can cause related tabs to be positioned in different parts of a tab management area.
When closing a selected tab, tabbed browsers have to determine another tab to select. Many tabbed browsers select a tab to the right of the closed tab if there is an open tab to the right of the closed tab. Otherwise, the tabbed browsers select a tab to the left of the closed tab. Selecting tabs in this way may cause the browser to switch between unrelated tabs. Switching between unrelated tabs may be disorienting to a user.
As a user browses, a tabbed browser opens new tabs. Tabs can accumulate that are no longer relevant to a user. For this reason, a user may want to close a multiple tabs rapidly. Some browsers provide an option enabling a user to “close all other tabs”. In other words, a user may close all the tabs but one. While this approach has benefits, this approach may close tabs that are still relevant to a user.